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By The People Becoming A Practitioner Of Democracy Summary

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INTRODUCTION

The chapter By the People: Becoming a Practitioner of Democracy by Kenneth Winston discusses the quest of staying true to personal beliefs while establishing a career and achieving goals. Winston addresses the story of Aruna Roy’s career path and quest for equality in India. Roy has a strong passion for human rights in India, and she sought to raise the voices of the rural poor. Roy stopped at nothing to ensure that her morals, ethics and beliefs were not sacrificed in the name of a job security or the safety of an organization’s reputation. As a result, we see in this chapter, Roy’s ‘non-linear’ career path that includes changes in organizations and living situations. Roy takes a very particular approach to provide justice for Indians, in that she lives with the poor community that she is reaching out to. Her strategy for change provides insight into the personal connections in a community that help to attain change in governmental accountability, transparency, and economic justice. All the while, we watch Aruna shape her personal life and maintain personal integrity. Her courageous acts leave the reader …show more content…

Roy is an exceptional case; she committed not just time and effort to a cause she believed in, but her whole being. The disadvantage of this strategy is that not everyone is capable of this lifestyle. It takes a particular type of person to implement this strategy. Take the former Uruguayan president, José Mujica, for example who is known for his down to earth approaches to governance. Mujica’s choice to live a simple life although he is capable of living a lavish one is seen as a rare capability. In my opinion, one can be very passionate about a cause but not many people are ready to adapt and sacrifice the way Roy and Mujica do. Aruna changed her urban life to a simple village life. She lived with no electricity and no drinking water at some times, possibly putting her own health at

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